


5 Sentence Fics - Duo Maxwell

by lil_1337



Series: Five sentence fics [2]
Category: Gundam Wing
Genre: F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-01-21
Updated: 2006-01-21
Packaged: 2017-11-06 12:32:34
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,741
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/418966
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lil_1337/pseuds/lil_1337





	5 Sentence Fics - Duo Maxwell

#01 - Impressionist 

Around the corner and down the street from Preventers headquarters is a small art museum. On days when Duo feels he just needs some time away he will buy his lunch in the cafeteria then go sit in museum garden to eat. He always stops to chat with Wills, the elderly guard, getting all the news on Martha’s lumbago and what the grandkids are doing before making his way outside. Walking through the museum on his way back he likes to stop in the impressionists’ gallery for a moment. Feeling the color and light of the paintings replenishing his soul the way the food had revitalized his body. 

#02 - Cat on a hot tin roof

The sun was beating down causing Duo’s sweat slicked hand to slide on the corrugated metal of the tin shed. Cautiously he moved a little closer to the hissing gray kitten balanced as close to the edge as she could. In one swoop of his hand he grabbed her and stuffed her down the front of his shirt before backing away from what would be a two-story drop onto a pile of scrap metal. Down on the ground he handed the frightened animal to Hilde with a triumphant smile then accepted her hug and profuse thanks. He’d always been a sucker for a damsel in distress he told her, ducking the playful swing she aimed at his head.

#03 - Keeping it simple

Duo shifted from one foot to the other surreptitiously stretching his shoulders while trying to appear completely alert and interested in yet another interminable speech. One of the worst parts of being a ‘hero for the ages’ was having to listen to people who now found it politically advantageous to ramble on and on about all the good he and the other pilots had accomplished. If they really wanted to show their appreciation a simple thank you would work much better and mean a lot more. Being a pawn in a political game of chess was not something he enjoyed. All he and the guys wanted to do was live their lives in the peace they helped create. 

#04 - One sock

It was taunting him. He knew it was. One lone blue sock that he knew had a match when it went into the dryer. He checked and double check, looking in both the lint trap and through the other laundry in case it had gotten caught in something else. All to no avail so it sat on his dresser waiting, much like he was, for its other half to appear. 

#05 - Actions speak louder

Father Maxwell had taught Duo the motto that actions speak louder than words not only by saying them but by demonstrating this belief in everything he did. When Duo had asked him why he became a priest he had replied that the strength of his faith led him to answer when he was called to serve. While he honestly could not say that he same faith in god Duo felt that he had also answered the call put out to him. The difference being that Father Maxwell responded with a bible and Duo with a Gundam. In Duo’s eyes the path might diverge but the end destination was the same. 

#06 - Saved by the bell

Saved by the bell was a bit of a cliché as far as Duo was concerned. An outdated one at that since no one used bells anymore. The day Agent Pender cornered him and wanted to know all about how he kept his hair so long and lovely only to be interrupted by the ding of the microwave he thought there might be something to it. He was sure when the buzz of his beeper gave him the excuse he needed to make a hasty retreat. 

#07 - Love is 

‘Love is buying her diamonds for Valentine’s day’ the banner in the jewelry store window proclaimed. Shaking his head he kept on walking, not even pausing to look at the merchandise. He wasn’t sure he knew what love really was, but he did know it wasn’t buying something you couldn’t afford out of media induced guilt. He preferred to think it was more about doing something to make the person you loved happy then feeding the economy. Some day when he was older and ready he’d really like to find out. 

#08 - Man’s best friend

The puppy was a stray, the breed or breeds unidentifiable due to a long and illustrious heritage. At first it would not allow him near it, but with treats and continued contact Duo was able to eventually get close enough to touch him. In time the animal’s ribs padded and he took on the look of a pet instead of a wild thing. The day it was sitting by his car waiting for him, tongue hanging out and tail wagging Duo took him home. He figured that karma had caught up with him and it was his turn to be the finder instead of the foundling.

#09 - Check’s in the mail

When he was a kid living on the streets Solo taught Duo never to accept favors. Having a debt or owing someone something put you in a position where it was very easy to be used. He lectured the kids on this point all the time because he said it was how people ended up in jail or dead. While he knows that things are different now with bills and trappings of the modern world a part of him still sees and hears the echoes of Solo’s teachings in the people he deals with as a Preventer. This is why anything he can purchase with cash he does and checks are written and put in the mail as soon as the bill arrives. 

#10 – Naked

The feel of soft yet crisp sheets caressed Duo’s naked body as he stretched. Looking over at the clock he was pleased to see he still had two hours before the needed to get up and get ready for the day. After years of sleeping on the street waking up in a soft bed with clean sheets and being able to just lie there was the height of sinful indulgence. He smiled sleepily and ran his hand over the light blue material draping his frame. Mentally he thanked Quatre for the hand woven Egyptian cotton bedding that had been his housewarming gift. 

#11 - Breakfast at Denny’s 

Every couple of weeks Howard will call out of the blue to say he is in town and would Duo like to get together for breakfast at Denny’s. No matter what his plans are for the day Duo will rearrange his schedule and go. He and Howard will catch up with each other’s lives over scrambled eggs, hash browns and lots of hot coffee. Before each meeting Duo tells himself this time he is going to thank Howard for being there for him as a mentor and a father figure. Each time they start talking and while Duo is working up his courage to say his piece he realizes Howard already knows. 

#12 - Only one life

Looking over his life Duo could see the progression of influences that shaped who he had become. Solo taught him it was okay to survive. Father Maxwell and Sister Helen taught him that he had only one life on this Earth and to use it wisely. Howard and the sweepers had taught him that he had skills and how to use them to make a difference in the world. But Heero had been his greatest teacher, showing him that it was okay to let go and trust in himself. 

#13 - Swords to plowshares

Though none of them would admit it each pilot had kept a piece of his Gundam. A small scrap of gundanium as a reminder of who and what they had been. To Duo Deathscythe hadn’t just been a machine of war but a friend and companion he could rely on. The piece of metal was a memorial to a fallen soldier who had performed his duty valiantly. “Miss ya, buddy,” Duo murmured to himself as he fingered the second cross he now wore. 

#14 - Deadman’s hand

When it comes to strategy Duo has noticed that people show theirs in different ways. Quatre is not afraid to use his look of sincere innocence and will often beat people at chess by making them comfortable and setting them off guard. Relena, however likes to use the element of surprise and as a result is often underestimated because of her age and gender. Duo is on to both of them and now sees through the facades they have so carefully created. When asked he will cheerfully share that the only time he has ever beaten Relena at cards was with a Deadman’s hand and some strategically applied ice down the front of her shirt. 

#15 - Getting along

Duo has never really had any trouble getting along with other people. Being gregarious by nature he has worked to hone his charm and social skills as they have shown themselves time and time again to aid in his survival. Generally he likes people and is not afraid to say it or show it how he relates to them. If asked most people would say that Duo probably couldn’t even list off all of his friends as he talks to and seems to know everyone. Duo however can list them on his fingers, he knows that liking someone and trusting them enough to consider them a friend are two very different things. 

#16 - Photographs and memories

The walls of Duo’s apartment are covered with framed photographs of his friends. If you look closely you will notice that he is not in them. This is not because he was the photographer but because he claims if he wants to look at himself he has a perfectly serviceable mirror in the bathroom. He sees the pictures as moments frozen in time that he wants to remember through his eyes. The one exception to this a large photo that hangs in a place of honor over his desk, one that each of the pilots owns and proudly displays. 

#17 – Redeye

Stumbling off the redeye shuttle from L2 to Earth Duo stretched and twisted his neck trying to get some of the kinks out. He shuffled through customs and baggage pick up wanting nothing more than a soft bed and about twelve hours of shuteye. He was walking through the lounge when a cup of coffee appeared under his nose followed by a doughnut from his favorite coffee shop. Good friends, Duo decided smiling gratefully at Heero, knew what you needed even when you didn’t realize it yourself. 

#18 - Footprints in the sand 

On the wall of Father Maxwell’s office was a copy of the poem “Footprints in the sand” by Mary Stevenson. Whenever Duo was in trouble he would sit in a chair in front of the father’s desk and study it, reading the words over and over again to himself as the father would speak of what ever transgression Duo was currently guilty of. He understood the statement of faith it made and message in the words but being a child of the colonies the visual it painted escaped him. When he landed on Earth and walked on the beach the first time he thought of the poem and smiled. However, it was not until the day he broke Heero out the Alliance hospital and helped him across the sand, Heero leaning on him because of his injured leg that Duo was able to understand the full meaning of the simple words he had memorized years before.

#19 - Reap what you sow

Duo was standing on the roof of headquarters, staring off towards the horizon when Quatre found him. The anger and self-condemnation broke loose as Duo told him about the young man with a gun who wanted to kill the Gundam pilot that had murdered his father. Tears streamed down his face as expressed his remorse over having to kill the son as he had the father in the name of protection of innocents. He told Quatre how Father Maxwell had warned him that hate begat hate and in this life you reap what you sow. Quatre had taken Duo in his arms and stroked his hair, reminding him in a soft voice that what Duo had sown was not hatred, but the beginnings of peace and it was up to each person to choose to benefit from the crop. 

#20 - The morning after

The morning after his promotion to captain Duo found his new office decorated with toilet paper and a banner that Congratulations Captain Maxwell. He felt genuinely touched and honored by the thought. The confetti bomb in his desk drawer garnered less warm feelings but he remained amused. It was the screensaver of Deathscythe in a ballerina outfit complete with tutu and toe shoes that pushed him over the edge. Trowa told Heero later that the screech of indignation was worth the time it took to learn to use the graphics program. 

#21 - Batman and Superman were lovers

The stall in the men’s room was covered with graffiti, most of it extolling the abilities of various people to provide a good time. Mixed in was the occasional insult and directive to do something anatomically impossible for even someone as flexible as Trowa. In the middle of this, written in black indelible ink was ‘Batman and Superman were lovers’. Surrounding the words was a heart and the center was pierced with an arrow so that it reminded Duo of the old fashioned valentines he had seen. He had to stop and smile at the reminder that despite what might be going on around it, love blooms where it will. 

#22 - Flying blind

The sand closed in, isolating him from Quatre and the Maganacs. It blotted out his view and turned the air around him into a dark brown cloud. For the first time in his life Duo felt truly alone, as if he was flying blind in world he knew nothing about. He fought the urge to panic and run, needing to see or touch someone, anyone. Then his radio crackled into life and Quatre was there, guiding him to safety. 

#23 - On the line

Duo stood, gun in hand poised and waiting for the suspect to appear. This was what he had been building up to. Months of work and preparation were on the line as he sighted in the scope and waited, allowing the man in the crosshairs to edge closer before pulling the trigger. The echo of the rifle reverberated around him and the man went down, a single bullet hole cleanly placed between his eyes. He turned and held his hand, palm up to Wufei and said with a smirk, “I told you I could beat your score at Hitman 4.” 

#24 - Ordinary man

The splash of the headlines declared that the five Gundam Pilots were in a five way tie for man of the year much to Duo’s amusement since the only two pilots that knew for sure how old they were did not legally qualify for the title. He was not surprised when the reporter cornered him outside of headquarters and having learned long ago from Quatre’s example it was easier to make nice then try to duck and avoid he smiled brightly at her. Graciously he accepted her offer of a free meal in exchange for an interview and a few pictures. Over dinner she asked him what his plans were for AC197. Leaning forward in an imitation of intimacy he winked at her and said he’d like to be just an ordinary guy with a mortgage and a dog. 

#25 - Rule of thumb

“The rule of thumb when dealing with explosives is the longer the fuse the longer the burn time. However, the material of the fuse is just as important as the length.” Duo turned back from the white board to the look over his students, marveling again that his face was one of the youngest in the room. It never ceased to amaze him the winding and twisted paths life led him down. In a few short years he had gone from starving orphan to instructor for Preventers, managing to become the survivor of a massacre and a terrorist along the way.


End file.
